"I'm sure I've been the butt of a lot of sexist jokes, especially
since I got involved with major labels, being a woman with no
experience, living in Seattle, managing her boyfriend's band. It was
prime material for jokes, but I didn't get in the middle of those sort
of cocktail conversations or listen to that whispering. I was up here
with my dream that people would care about what Seattle has to offer
musically."

Susan Silver was both
Soundgarden's manager and the wife of lead singer Chris Cornell. She began her managing career in
1983 with the legendary U-Men. Soon after, she was also in charge of
First Thought. During this time Silver kept a regular job, since
promoting bands wasn't a way to earn a living.

In 1985, she met Soundgarden -- she began working with them in
1986. At this time, Silver was also managing Screaming Trees, which
she did for three years, and in 1988, met Kelly Curtis. At the time,
Curtis and his friend Ken ran a production company. Ken managed Alice In
Chains, and when Curtis got interested in working with Mother Love
Bone, he decided he didn't want to manage them any more. Silver and
Curtis became Alice In Chains' co-managers. Silver is still AIC's
manager; Curtis now manages Pearl Jam.

In 1990, Silver married Chris Cornell. The couple managed to avoid the media scrutiny
typically applied to celebrity relationships, with their marriage rarely mentioned
in the context of their professional relationship. Silver and Cornell were divorced
in 2003.

Silver retired in 1998, closing her longtime Seattle office and moving
a scaled-down personnel roster a few miles away, where it continues to
run the Soundgarden Fan Club, among other things.